Kate Gleason College of Engineering

Kate Gleason College of Engineering | RIT

RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering delivers an applied curriculum that prepares students to be career-ready upon graduating. Learn more today!

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

Established in 1829, the Rochester Institute of Technology is a private, coeducational university located in Rochester, New York in the northeastern region of the United States. 

A leader in preparing students for careers in the dynamic global environment, the university has a diverse range of programs from engineering, science, and technology to the arts, business, education, humanities, and social sciences. It consists of 9 colleges that provide career-oriented programs and experiential learning. 

"U.S. News & World Report” has ranked RIT 104th amongas  national universities and is again included in "Princeton Review's" list of Best Graduate Business Schools and is home to the #1 Student Innovation Center in the nation as ranked by "Best Colleges Online."

Kate Gleason College of Engineering Overview

Named after Catherine Anselm Gleason, RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering is the first engineering college in the nation named after a woman. Enrolling more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the Kate Gleason College of Engineering offers seven undergraduate degrees, and 16 graduate degree programs. Students are prepared to meet the existing and future needs of the industry, engage in research to address and solve significant engineering challenges, and work to accelerate economic growth through innovation and creativity.

With strong corporate connections built through an enduring tradition of cooperative education, Kate Gleason College of Engineering delivers an applied curriculum that prepares students to be career-ready upon graduating. Employers value this approach, as evidenced by RIT’s 97% outcome rates across all College of Engineering programs.

RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering ranked 59th in 2019 for undergraduate engineering programs among schools that offer a doctorate degree by “U.S. News & World Report”.

The Kate Gleason College of Engineering consists of seven departments:

Biomedical Engineering  

Biomedical engineers combine their knowledge of engineering with biology, anatomy, and physiology to create devices and systems for a variety of healthcare issues. Biomedical engineers are employed to:

• Design systems and products, such as artificial internal organs, artificial devices that replace body parts, and machines for diagnosing medical problems.
• Work with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists to research the engineering aspects of biological systems of humans and animals.
• Work with pharmaceutical companies to develop new drug therapies.
• Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.

Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering applies the principles of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics to transform raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms. Examples of materials created by chemical engineers include nanoscale composites, pharmaceuticals, plastics, fibers, metals, and ceramics. Key applications include the development of alternative energy systems, biomedical materials and therapies, and strategies to minimize the environmental impact of technological advancements.

Computer Engineering

Computer engineering offers opportunities for all types of designs and innovations, such as designing the architecture of a new computer, integrating electronics and sensors into a new embedded system, or controlling the process of the smart grid. There is a great demand for computer engineers who can do it all—from designing computer hardware, components and software, to developing next-generation products and appliances that contain embedded systems.

Engineering Leadership

The Engineering Leadership Department offers academic courses, graduate certificates, and master's degree programs targeting engineers, technical specialists, and other experienced professionals who will benefit from our mix of engineering and business content and our emphasis on cross-functional competence. Programs are available online, on-campus, or onsite at outside organizations.

Rochester Institute of Technology also offers training programs in a wide range of areas such as product development, systems engineering, decision analysis, supply chain management and logistics, product lifecycle management, project management, process improvement and Lean Six Sigma, advanced statistics, and other disciplines.

Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering

Electrical engineering is focused on developing and innovating the technology surrounding electricity, electronics, circuits, and embedded design systems. They work on a wide variety of electronic components, devices, and systems found in computers, robotics, telecommunications, power systems, and more. 

Microelectronics is a field within the broader electrical engineering discipline. Its focus is on the design and development of microchips and the fabrication and manufacturing of the very small electrical designs, circuits, and integrated electronics found in medical devices, satellites, automobiles, appliances, and more. 

Industrial and Systems Engineering

Industrial engineers perform a wide variety of jobs in every kind of industry. Among their responsibilities: evaluate workstation designs, monitor safety programs, perform product life studies, schedule operations, develop computer forecasting models, and manage logistics and supply chains, to name a few.

RIT’s industrial and systems engineering department recognizes that future industrial engineers will be successful if they are proficient in problem solving and communication, while possessing a blend of skills in engineering and management. 

Mechanical Engineering

The mechanical engineering department is the largest academic department in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. Mechanical engineering covers topics including aerodynamics, medical devices, energy systems, system control, robotics, new product development, materials development, structural integrity, manufacturing, automotive systems, and space vehicle systems.

Mechanical engineers are often called upon to assume management positions. They work in many different industries and businesses as product developers, researchers, prototype designers, automotive engineers, aerospace engineers, management consultants, among many others, and many serve in senior leadership positions in their fields.

Faculty-led research in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering

The faculty in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering engage in numerous areas of research, which takes place across all of the engineering disciplines and often involves other colleges at RIT, local health care institutions, and major industry partners.

Within these seven broad areas, faculty and students conduct research in a variety of focus areas and industries:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems
• Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering
• Cyber-physical Systems
• Energy and the Environment
• Materials, Devices and Microsystems

Experiential Learning at Rochester Institute of Technology

In the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, experiential learning takes many forms. Through cooperative education, international study, undergraduate research, service learning, and multidisciplinary senior design projects, students are equipped to join the workforce as skilled, competent, experienced engineers.

RIT has one of the largest cooperative education programs in the world, annually placing more than 4,500 students in more than 6,200 co-op assignments with more than 2,200 employing organizations. A co-op gives students real-world job experience to help inform future career decisions. Students do not pay tuition while on co-op.

Future Employment for Saunders College of Business graduates

The Kate Gleason College produces exceptional engineers. 97 % of  graduates are employed full time, enrolled in graduate study, or are engaged in military or volunteer experiences after graduation. Cooperative education is a significant reason for this success. RIT has more than 500 engineering co-op partners, a bi-annual career fair, and on-campus recruiting events, students have multiple opportunities to identify and apply to positions that best suit their interests and professional aspirations.

Kate Gleason College of Engineering Alumni

Kate Gleason College of Engineering graduates are part of a dynamic network of nearly 125,000 Rochester Institute of Technology alumni that are making an impact around the globe. Notable alumni include:

Mike Guarasci ’83

CFO and founding investor of Infraredx, a coronary imaging company in the Boston area, Guarasci and his team developed a ground-breaking technology that combines light and sound to image coronary arteries to help diagnose heart disease.

Guarasci held positions as a financial analyst with American Airlines and is founder of Harbor Light Investment Management Co. He also served as head of institutional business for Bear Stearns Asset Management.

Clayton Turner ’90 (electrical engineering)

Director, NASA Langley Research Center

Turner began his career with NASA in 1990 by serving as a design engineer with the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment project, where he spearheaded the development of the laser aligning, bore-sight limit system. Over the next 29 years, Turner served in various roles with progressively increasing responsibility, leading the agency’s engineering contributions to many successful flight projects.